Cary-Grove eyes third straight FVC title
Cary-Grove has been one of the gold standards for girls’ area track teams in recent years.
And this year is certainly no different.
The Trojans are heavily favored to win their third-straight Fox Valley Conference championship today at Crystal Lake South. Cary-Grove comes into the meet having won five league crowns since 2002. The Trojans have won three invitational titles this year, including the McHenry County championship.
“Our goal is the same every year. Focus on Cary-Grove and the rest will fall in place,” said veteran Cary-Grove coach Mark Anderson. “We’ll just focus on what we have to do. These girls have shown all year they can and will step up to a challenge. We were the smallest school at the Naperville (North) invite and it was terrible weather, but we pulled out a win. We didn’t have a great night at the Badger invite in Lake Geneva, but some kids really stepped up when we needed them to and we pulled out a win again. They are tough kids.”
Junior Kathie Wollney is one of many contributors for the Trojans. She’s already under state time in the 300 hurdles (46.64) and close in the 100s (15.41; state time is 15.1).
“It’s definitely because we work on the hurdles every day,” said Wollney. “Our hurdles coach pushes us to do the workouts and drills. It becomes muscle memory and is so engrained that when it comes time to run them you know what to do.”
Sarah Ryan also has stepped up in both the 100 and 200.
Cary-Grove also is strong in the 800 (Anne McGarrigle, Wollney, Jenni Maki, Ryan) and 1,600 (McGarrigle, Lizzy Klicker, Katherine O’Connor, Wollney) relays.
“This year is the biggest track team we’ve had,” Wollney pointed out. “We have like 120 girls. Coach Anderson’s emphasis has always been track is a team sport. Everyone is there to support each other. That really helps everybody be motivated and it encourages everybody to try their hardest. We have so many girls that can run in each event. It pushes everybody.”
Huntley was second to Cary-Grove in the county earlier this season. Red Raiders’ sophomore Anthonia Moore is close to state time in the 400 (59.36; state time is 59.2), while senior Haley Loprieno has excelled in both the 800 and 1,600. Moore also anchors Huntley’s 1,600 relay team. Senior Marilyn McDougall, junior Abbey Shaw and freshman Taylor Schau round out that quartet.
“We should be very competitive in all the relays,” said Huntley coach Shawn Nordeen, who added field events will be key for his team. “We have really started to get our handoffs down and we’re starting to build some confidence. Our younger kids have had some races against some real nice competition lately and have done really well. We are starting to peak on the track right now. In the last few meets we have, by far, run our best times of the year in all of our events.”
Nordeen lists Cary-Grove as the favorite going into today’s meet.
“As a team, Cary-Grove is, by far, the favorite,” he said. “It’s going to be a nice and competitive second-place team race.”
Dundee-Crown features a star-studded 3,200 relay that went 9:48 at the Kane County meet last week. The group includes seniors Lauren Mosher (UW-Whitewater), Katie Gross (Drake), Claira Himmel (UW-Milwaukee), along with sophomores Natalie Himmel and Jade Franz, who are in contention for the final spot on the relay. D-C’s 3,200 team ran 9:38 at the state meet last year.
Mosher and Gross also are strong in the 800 and Gross is closing in on the minute-mark in the 400.
“Outside of some solid middle distance performances, we have a relatively young and inexperienced team,” said D-C coach Matt Michalski. “The girls are working on beating their personal bests and doing all they can to better themselves and the team.”
Jacobs junior Allie Virgilio easily went past the state mark in the triple jump (37-2; state-qualifying is 35-6) in a late April meet.
Senior Olivia Mayer (long and triple jumps), sophomore Nikki Diana (discus) and freshman Kayla Giuliano (1,600) also have been key performers for the Golden Eagles.
“We’re hoping to capture both the long and triple jump titles in conference this year,” said Jacobs coach Ryan Lemanski. “Allie and Olivia are both starting to come out now with their best performances of the season.”
Lemanski lauded the efforts of senior Nikki Millard, who will continue her track and field career at Benedictine University next year. She runs the second legs of the 400 and 800 relays.
“She plans on leaving nothing behind. She adds great motivation to the rest of our girls on the relay teams,” said Lemanski, who also applauded his team’s sprinting depth.
Crystal Lake South has rewritten the school record books on several occasions this season. Junior pole vaulter Lexi Dahl is the new record-holder in that event (10-7; state-qualifying is 10-3).
Senior Kamile Udrenaite has gone a school-best 38-4 in the shot (37-6 is the state-qualifying mark) and 112-6 in the discus — also a Gator benchmark.
Decorated senior runner Marianne Collard has gone as low as 2:22.97 in the 800 and 5:19.89 in the 1,600.
“They key will be to place at our seeds or higher,” said South coach Matt Dunker. “Our girls have done a great job of continuously improving their times and distances as the year has gone along.”
Big Northern Conference
Burlington Central will be in search of the trifecta at today’s Big Northern Conference meet at Stillman Valley. The Rockets have won the last two league crowns.
Central won the BNC indoor title and has won two outdoor invitationals and took second at the larger West Aurora and Kaneland invites. Central was fourth at Kane County recently.
“Our field events have really carried us all season,” said Central coach Aaron Wichman. “We are able to double up in many events to maximize our point totals. We have a very deep squad with talented athletes in many events.”
Katie Trupp (5-6) and Caille Thommes (5-4) are both already over the state-qualifying mark in the high jump, as are Autumn Conn (10-6) and Katie Trupp (10-0) in the pole vault. Veteran runner Markelle Turk is right at the state cut in the 1,600 (5:25), while Allie Settani has excelled in the shot put. Turk will also contend in the 3,200.
Alexa Tovsen has run under state time in the 400 (60.2), while Kayla Wolf (61.0) is close.
Central is already well under the state cut in the 3,200 relay (9:49) with a group comprised of Katie Puccio, Hannah Williams, Kayla Wolf and Heidi Zipoy.
Wolf, Puccio, Williams and Thommes are just under the state cut in the 1,600 relay. Wolf, Thommes, Rachel Dossey and Tovsen comprise a competitive 400 relay.
Wichman noted the likes of Hampshire, Marengo and defending Class 1A state outdoor champion Byron figure to be in contention as well.
Hampshire standout Cassie Kruse is already under state time in the 800 (2:19) and 1,600 (5:16.58) and has gone under in the 400 as well (60.35). Ashley Fouch is close in the 200 (26.3; state time is 26.0). She also runs the 100.
Liz Sicheri (triple jump) and Autumn Chomenko (300 hurdles) are also key performers. The Whip-Purs excel in the relays as well. The 1,600 (Paige Membrano, Chomenko, Elizabeth Pagan and Kruse) and 3,200 teams (Membrano, Chomenko, Sicheri and Kruse) have already run under state time. The 800 team is also improving (Membrano, Marisa Carrozza, Pagan and Fouch).
Upstate Eight Conference
Bartlett and South Elgin will head to the Valley Division meet at Waubonsie Valley today.
Bartlett distance standout Alyssa Schneider has run as low as 5:01 in the 1,600 and coach Anthony Moorman said a sub-5-minute effort could be forthcoming today or next week at the sectional. Schneider finished sixth in the state last year with a time of 5:02.64.
Schneider also is part of Bartlett’s 3,200 team with Megan Zmich, Taylor Crawford and Julie Cronin. Cronin is on the 1,600 relay as well with Kelsey Lynch, Sarah Kasuriak and Emily Wilson.
Katie Lausen (shot put) and Nicole Watkins (3,200) are also key performers for the Hawks.
South Elgin has gone through some roster atrophy due in part to injuries. Junior Jordan Tuin has been a key bright spot for the Storm with personal bests in the 800 (2:23) and 1,600 (5:27). The South Elgin 1,600 relay team has improved as the season has wore on.
Elgin, Larkin and Streamwood are at the Sabres-hosted UEC River Division meet.
Streamwood’s Megan McGlone will contend for the triple jump title and will score points in the hurdle events. Maria Luna will be a contender in the 800.
Luna, Amanda Patterson, Alyssa Patterson and Jordana LeSavage are looking to break 10 minutes in the 3,200 relay. That group broke the school record at the Kane County meet recently (10:02.8).
Elgin will be without triple-jumper Niessa Diabate (34-11) who will be attending a scholarship banquet.
Elsewhere
Ÿ Elgin Academy will compete in the Independent School League meet Friday. Freshman Makena Barickman finished eighth in the 100 at the recent Rockford Christian meet.
Ÿ St. Edward will run Monday at the Suburban Christian Conference meet at Marian Central. Green Wave junior Audrey Danner is coming off an ankle ailment, but coach David Greer is hopeful she’ll be back for the conference and sectional meets. Danner excels in the 100, 200 and 400.
Westminster Christian ran at the Northeastern Athletic Conference meet earlier this week in Rockford.